With Grandpa's Guidance
by Blu Rose
Summary: What do those ninja who retire do? Well, for a start, share their knowledge and wisdom with the children…regardless of what they may do with it. That's how a Sasuke recently retired from active duty ends up training his grandson. (Rated T only for one particular description.)


**As I'm writing this, it's been months since I've been updated on Boruto—the manga and the anime—because of the damages inflicted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. But I watched and read enough beforehand to get hooked on Naruto again. But what really fueled this fic here were the video recommendations I got on YouTube one day for the Boruto anime. They were only clips, but it was enough to make me go "I might write a Naruto/Boruto fic if I'm bored enough". And of course, when you're sitting in a house that relies on generator power that must be sparingly used to get electricity, boredom comes often. So, yeah…enjoy this future-based fic about Grandpa Sasuke.**

 _Disclaimer: Blu Rose doesn't own the Naruto series (or the Boruto series, too, I guess). Only this fic._

 _Summary: What do those ninja who retire do? Well, for a start, share their knowledge and wisdom with the children…regardless of what they may do with it. That's how a Sasuke recently retired from active duty ends up training his grandson._

 **X-X-X**

The phrase "biological clock" functioned differently for Uchiha Sasuke. For many years, his body adapted to a schedule of sorts—not a strict schedule, but simple things like "this is when you ought to wake up," "this is when you should eat," "this is when you should make camp or find a place to stay," and so on and so forth. To say it was a habit would imply that he had some control, but it was more autonomous than anything else. So, when he woke up at 4:00 in the morning these days, Sasuke spent 15 minutes trying to go back to sleep, then another 15 minutes simply staring up at the ceiling with his vision blurry and his thoughts blank. Then, when he got sick of simply lying on his back doing nothing, Sasuke slid out of the bed, doing his best to not disturb his wife, and decided that he should at least waste his time watching TV or doing… _something_. Anything, really.

But today, as soon as he left the bedroom, he noticed that the TV was already on. Silently approaching the couch from behind, Sasuke looked over the head of it to stare at the culprit. Even with his blurry vision, he knew who they were when he took in their small body. "Subaru." At the sound of his voice, the child jumped, startled, and immediately looked up at Sasuke, his eyes hidden behind a curtain of dark bangs that had been allowed to grow out for too long. "It's almost 4:30 in the morning."

"…Yes," the boy answered simply after a moment of silence, not realizing what he was getting at.

"It's too early for you to be up watching TV."

"I woke up to go to the bathroom and I couldn't go back to sleep. So I thought I'd watch TV," Subaru explained. "Are you going to the bathroom, too?"

"No."

"Can't sleep?"

"…Mm," a grunt was Sasuke's only response as he walked around the couch to sit down, forcing the boy to sit up and make room. "What are you watching?" He asked less out of genuine curiosity about what was playing on the TV, and more because he couldn't make out what was onscreen.

"The Kokoro Show. It's Throwback Thursday," Subaru explained.

"…I can't hear anything."

"It's almost 4:30 in the morning." The boy repeated his grandfather's words. "That's why I put the TV on mute and turned on the screen captions." Sasuke resisted the urge to lean forward and squint, because he refused to admit that the caption bars were like badly placed censor bars to his failing eyes. After a few seconds, he heard the volume on the TV being increased a bit, and he began to feel slightly ashamed that it was obvious even to his six-year old grandson that his sight was starting to fail him. "Grandpa?"

"Hm?"

"You're not doing anything anymore, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"So, you've got lots of free time, don't you?"

"What's your point?" Sasuke asked with a slightly harsher tone than he would've liked. It wasn't exactly like he had anything particular lined up for him to do after his retirement from active duty. Just the gradual, though not complete, reintegration into life amongst civilians.

"Well, you're a ninja…although you're old now…and I guess you're not really a nin—"

" _Subaru_."

"Can you teach me ninjutsu?" Subaru asked quickly soon after.

Sasuke's eyes widened, albeit slightly, before he looked down at the little boy. "You…want to learn ninjutsu?" Subaru didn't make a sound, but his eyesight wasn't so bad that he couldn't make out the boy nodding his head. "…Alright."

"Really?!" The dark-haired child exclaimed, then suddenly clapped his hands over his mouth and looked at the door of the room his grandmother was still sleeping in.

"It's never too early to start, I suppose." There would be other children his age beginning their training at this point, being taught by their parents in the hopes of having a head start before they headed for the academy to learn the rest. "We can begin today." Because it wasn't like Sasuke had any other plans for the day. He soon felt the couch shaking slightly as his grandson hopped excitedly and silently in place. With a small smile, Sasuke's gaze returned to the TV as an obnoxious laugh track played.

 **X-X-X**

Hours later, after both the sun and Sakura had risen, Sasuke told his wife of his intentions with their grandson. Her reaction had been mostly positive: "I think it's lovely that you want to spend time with Subaru-chan. But just remember that he's just a child, so take it easy on him. Oh, and _do_ get in the habit of wearing your glasses."

"Uh-huh," Sasuke answered absentmindedly as he sipped his coffee.

"I mean it."

"Mm-hm."

Seeing that Sasuke wasn't going to give her much response in regard to that topic, Sakura turned her attention to the little boy sitting next to her. "So, Subaru-chan… I didn't think you'd be eager to train as a ninja." Subaru made a sound of confusion while he had a mouth full of pancake. "I thought you said you didn't want to be a ninja." Sasuke arched an eyebrow, wondering if that was said while he was away.

"I don't," Subaru admitted after he swallowed. "I just wanna learn ninjutsu."

"Eh? Whatever for?"

The dark-haired boy shrugged as he stabbed another piece of pancake. "No reason. I just wanna learn some."

"Like a hobby?"

"I guess." Subaru stilled before he looked at his grandfather. "That's okay, right, Grandpa…?"

"It's fine," Sasuke answered immediately before taking another sip.

Sakura looked mildly surprised, and probably with good reason. Although it had been reduced to less than a handful of members, the Uchiha were famously known as a clan of ninja. And while Sasuke didn't know himself just how many members in the past lived as civilians without ever attending the academy, Subaru's grandparents were legends in the field and his mother was the Hokage. It was naturally expected of him to become a ninja as well, continuing family traditions and all that. But it would be unfair to force him to become one if he didn't really want to, so Sarada and Sakura didn't push him, and now, neither did Sasuke.

"But you know, you'd be better off training with _me_. Your grandpa tends to have big expectations about the people he trains, so he can be hard to deal with," Sakura said with a smile. "Plus, I can show you some neat stuff."

"I know. Mom showed me some things she picked up from you once," Subaru said with a full mouth and a gloomy expression. "That's why I wanna train with Grandpa instead…" In response, his grandmother chuckled.

 **X-X-X**

After breakfast, grandfather and grandson left home, carrying along boxed lunches that Sakura had made. They walked through Konoha until they entered what seemed to be a good spot in the forest, far enough from the village proper to comfort Subaru, who felt uncomfortable about being watched by many people.

"So, what kind of ninjutsu are we going to practice first?" Subaru asked, his eyes bright in anticipation.

"Taijutsu."

"Tai…jutsu?" The dark-haired boy asked, sounding depressed. "But that's just plain old fighting. I asked to learn ninjutsu. I won't ever need to fight hand-to-hand."

"You never know when you'll need to protect yourself. It's better to be safe than sorry," Sasuke explained. When Subaru sighed and continued looking disappointed, he continued, "Besides, practicing taijutsu will help to build up your chakra, and it's necessary to have the right amount when using jutsu that require chakra."

"…I guess taijutsu is still jutsu in a sense," Subaru reasoned, perking up a bit. "What should we do first, then?"

"Show me how you punch." Sasuke watched his grandson throw a half-hearted punch. "And how you kick." After a pause, Subaru attempted to spin on one foot as he tried to kick, only to fall over and land flat on his face. The retired ninja expected him to cry in pain, but the young boy looked away in embarrassment. "…What was that?"

"…I was trying to do this kick I saw on TV…"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Right… Well, stand up." The boy got up, dusting himself off as best as he could, his face still red. "Face me." Subaru turned around to look at his grandfather. "Hit me."

"Huh?"

"Hit me. As hard as you can."

The dark-haired boy began to look worried. "B-but if I hurt you—!"

"You won't hurt me. I've taken worse than you can possibly give me," said Sasuke. "So, hit me." Subaru bit his bottom lip as he pulled back his fist, and after a moment of hesitation, he punched. Immediately afterwards, Subaru's fist hit the palm of his grandfather's hand. "You're not putting enough force behind it. Punch like you want to hurt me."

"Can't I just punch a tree?"

"You'll only end up hurting yourself that way. Now, punch." For minutes, Subaru punched and kicked when he was instructed to. Then, when Sasuke was satisfied with what he had seen, he went on to show the boy how he ought to fight, correcting his posture and way of attacking. "Now, what sort of exercises do you know?"

"Exercises?" Subaru panted as he massaged his aching hand. He looked down at the ground as he thought out loud, "Um… Sit ups…jumping jacks…pushups…that's all."

"Exercising will help to strengthen your body for practicing taijutsu. Now, start with fifty jumping jacks."

"Fifty jumping jacks?!" The grandson exclaimed.

"If it's too hard, you can always learn from your mother or grandmother."

Subaru's expression immediately became calm. "What I meant to say was that I'd rather start with sit ups and build up to jumping jacks."

"That's what I thought," Sasuke said as his grandson got on the ground, on his back, and began doing sit ups. " _Full_ sit ups."

"O-okay!"

 **X-X-X**

150 combined exercises later, Subaru collapsed on the forest floor, panting while Sasuke looked down at him. "What's…next…Grandpa…?" The boy gasped shortly before his stomach growled.

"Lunch," his grandfather answered simply as he sat down next to the boxed lunches and began unpacking them.

"It's too early to be time for lunch."

"Lunch, brunch, it doesn't matter. We're eating now. Can you get up on your own?" Subaru got on his knees and crawled over to Sasuke before sitting cross-legged next to him. They began to eat in silence, the younger of the two going at his meal more ravenously due to working up an appetite. While keeping an eye on his own meal, Sasuke spoke up, "So, why the interest in studying ninjutsu as a hobby?"

"Huh?"

"Learning ninjutsu isn't the same as painting or sewing. One doesn't do it on a whim."

" _I_ do."

"Subaru."

The young boy looked aside with a mouth full of rice and swallowed. "I wanna be strong, that's all."

"That's all?"

"Mm-hm. Strong like White Ice."

"…White ice?" Sasuke repeated, his confusion evident in his eyes. "Why on earth would you want to be like ice?" Was that some sort of saying that recently sprouted up amongst the youth, or just some nonsense?

"Not ice! White Ice!" The boy exclaimed with bright eyes as he looked off into the distance. "He always does what he wants, not what he's told, and for that, he had his wings torn off and his eye plucked out before being cast out of the heavenly realm. He can always repent for his acts and go home by doing good deeds, but he has more fun just fighting against strong people and residing among humans! He's not the main character, but I think he's the best!"

"…Ah. So it's a character from a TV show."

"And a manga!"

"And you want to be strong like this White Ice…person…as opposed to a strong person who's _real_ like your mother."

Subaru's bright expression suddenly died and was replaced by a blank one. "People who wanna be like the Hokage want to be strong ninjas. I don't wanna be a ninja though. I just want to be strong like White Ice. But since I'm no angel from the heavenly realm, I have to get strong the way most people do—through ninjutsu."

"I see. In that case, why does What's-His-Name want to be so strong?"

The boy frowned. "White Ice."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"If you have to ask after what I just told you about him, you wouldn't understand."

"…Alright." Sasuke stood up, causing Subaru to look at him in confusion. "Come on, let's go."

"What are we doing next?"

"Going home." Before Subaru could protest, Sasuke continued, "You're exhausted, so that's it for today. Tomorrow, you can do it again, and hopefully grow experienced enough to do harder things with more training."

"Like what?"

"The next step would be throwing kunai and shuriken." Subaru started smiling at what was mentioned. Sasuke honestly didn't know what it was about throwing around sharp objects that amazed little kids, but it must have been something. "Of course, if you can't throw a proper punch, what chance do you have of throwing a shuriken correctly?"

Subaru stood up as well. "B-but if I can do that really well? Punching, I mean."

"You might have a chance. Maybe." At seeing how quickly his grandson had perked up, Sasuke smirked. "Of course, you'd have to cut your hair first." The boy's hands automatically went for the curtain of bangs that almost obscured his eyes. "In fact, if you did that, it might help with your punching."

"…I'll do it if you start wearing your glasses." Sasuke flinched at the mention of the dreaded spectacles that he tucked away before leaving the house and hadn't bothered to take out since. "If you want to show me how important it is for a ninja to see perfectly, wear them for tomorrow's session."

Sasuke looked down at the child with a dark expression. "They're _reading_ glasses, understand?"

Subaru didn't look intimidated in the slightest as he began to walk off. "And my bangs keep the sun out of my eyes."

The old man snorted as he followed. "That doesn't even make sense..."

 **X-X-X**

Although Sasuke had said that they would be doing more training tomorrow, his grandson had insisted on doing more exercising at home in the privacy of his mother's former room after having dinner with him and Sakura.

"That boy has no patience," Sasuke told his wife as they sat down together to watch TV.

"Every child's impatient when they start learning ninjutsu. They want to become as strong as jonin in less than a year," she replied while flipping through channels. "Though it's surprising that he's going at it with such gusto when he said he was learning ninjutsu as a hobby. You'd think he would want to take his time."

"Because he's lying. All he wants is to be strong."

"I figured that much."

"It's a waste, gaining strength for no reason other than self-satisfaction."

"Well, who's to say he won't have other reasons to be strong? He's still a child. Oh!" Sakura stopped on a certain channel. "It's that show Subaru likes." Sasuke said nothing, mostly because his lack of glasses made the screen come out blurry, so all he could do was listen to the opening theme song. "SUBARUUUU! Your show is on!" Sakura called out.

The bedroom door opened and Subaru rushed out to sit on the floor between the TV and the couch. "Can you turn up the volume, please?"

"Sure, sure," his grandmother chuckled as she increase the volume a bit.

"Exactly what is this show?" Sasuke asked.

"You'd know if you wore your glasses," Sakura spoke cheerfully with a bit of an edge in her tone.

"I don't need them."

"Then what does the screen say?" Sasuke said nothing. "You can't, can you? Stop acting vain and just wear the damn—"

"Language."

"Sasuke!" The pink-haired woman gave an exasperated sigh. "I swear, you just like to be difficult, don't you?"

"Sshh! It's starting!" Subaru hissed, making both of his grandparents quiet down.

" _When you were cast out of the heavens, you were cursed with that mortal form that feels pain. Although you're stronger than any human that dwells on this plane of existence, compared to the might of an angel of the highest Choir, a Fallen like yourself is no better than a gnat."_

" _Hmph! This is why I was so happy to become a Fallen. Annoying angels like you, who look down on people like me who do as their hearts tell them rather than acting according to the rules…are the reason why I've come to like slumming it with weak humans and dumb demons. Because at least they know how to show some passion and love for the things they do!"_

" _Emotions like that are the root of all evil."_

" _If that's the case, a guy who wants to purge all life on the planet because he thinks it's just must have even a sliver of passion. However…my passion for crushing the strong is what helps me overcome dicks like you! So prepare to be stomped like the bug that you are!"_

What happened next, Sasuke didn't know due to not being able to see the show well. But what he heard was mostly the sound of fighting: blows landing, things cracking or exploding, and techniques being called out, with the occasional pause for banter from the character his grandson adored. At some point, Sakura left the living room, leaving Sasuke alone with Subaru. And finally…

" _What's that I see on your face? Could it be a look of terror? Could it be_ _ **fear**_ _that you're feeling?"_ White Ice asked with amusement in his voice.

" _P-please…! I…have learned the error of my ways…!"_

" _You_ _ **are**_ _afraid. Afraid for your life. Afraid of_ _ **me**_ _. Fear is an egregious sin for an angel to commit, especially a high-ranking member of the Choir. On top of that, you came down here with the intention of doing something that God wouldn't dare allow. You've got to be punished."_

" _Wh-what are you doing? Stop! STOP!"_

"What is he doing?" Sasuke asked, honestly curious at this point as a theme song began to play.

"He's gonna tear off his wings!" Subaru exclaimed, sounding giddy.

"Doesn't sound so bad," the old man spoke sarcastically.

"He's a high-ranking angel, grandpa. His wings change into arms and legs that he uses to fight with…and he's got six of them."

"So…he's basically going to rip off his opponent's limbs."

"Because that's the punishment for angels who go against the rules of the heavens." Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from the television. "What a wimp. White Ice had six wings torn off of _him_ , too, but he didn't scream that badly." Another blood-curdling scream. "Then again, God gave him a new body with new limbs afterwards…" Another scream.

" _I might not be able to cast you out of heaven and make you one of the Fallen, but I can rip off these wings of yours and make you crawl on the ground like the snake that you are for the rest of your life!"_ White Ice laughed cruelly.

" _Yuel…! You truly belong in this tainted, cursed realm…! A wicked, sinful angel who cares nothing for order!"_

" _You're right about all that. But Yuel of the First Circle of the Heavenly Choir is no more. I am Shiro Yukio-o, called White Ice by the masses. And unlike you…I can see the beauty in this tainted realm and the potential of the people who live in it that makes them far better than heaven, its angels, and even God himself!"_

" _Blasphe—!"_ Whatever insult was going to come out of the defeated opponent's mouth was silenced with a crushing sound.

" _So long, Hebiel. May you be reincarnated into a snake and killed by a superior being once more."_

"What did he do?" Sasuke asked.

"Crushed his head with his foot."

"They show that stuff on TV?"

"They don't show it, but they _insinuated_ it by showing Ice holding his foot over the guy's head before cutting to black," Subaru explained before looking back at his grandfather. "This is why you need to wear your glasses for more than reading, Grandpa."

Sasuke frowned. "Don't _you_ start with that."

The boy looked back to the TV screen. "I've decided that I want to be able to kick and jump like Ice White. And someday, I'll be able to do something like Heaven's Falling. It's the best I can do when most of his attacks are out of my reach."

"What does that mean?"

"In the third volume of _Blood Red,_ the author wrote an aside stating that White Ice's ability to manipulate ice was inspired by something he read about an elemental style, which could only be used by the descendants of a certain clan. All _I_ could probably do is the Sharingan… How lame."

Sasuke stared at the back of his grandson's head with half-lidded eyes. "Yes. What a shame that you're stuck with that."

 **X-X-X**

The following morning, Sasuke once again woke up at 4 AM and headed out into the living room so as not to be a bother to Sakura. And once again, he found the television already on. This time, however, Subaru was sitting on the floor, close up to the television. "Subaru." At the sound of his voice, Subaru jumped and leaned over backwards to look at his grandfather, causing his curtain of bangs to fall up. "You'll ruin your eyes if you sit too close to the TV."

While still sitting, the boy dragged himself away from the television and over to the couch, where his grandfather had sat down. "Can't sleep again, Grandpa?"

"Mm."

"I went to bed early so we could leave home as soon as possible."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Don't you want to stay at home and watch the Chunin Exams?" It was being held in Kirigakure this time, and Sarada had to leave Konoha the day before to get there in time for the exhibition.

"Why? It's always the same old thing. It gets boring to watch." _That_ was something Sasuke didn't think he'd hear a kid Subaru's age say.

"I would expect you'd want to watch and learn from people who are already genin. You might be able to pick up something to put to use in your own training."

Subaru pouted. "You can watch it if you want, but I'd rather train on my own." He then grabbed the remote and changed the channel. "Oh, it's TGIFM!" Sasuke made a noise of confusion. "The _'Thank God It's Friday Morning'_ block," the boy said as he turned up the volume a bit. "Right now, _'Kikunari Hospital'_ is playing."

" _You don't seem to realize that you aren't in a position to barter, doctor…"_

Sasuke arched an eyebrow as the show's recap went on and the conversation officially ended.

 **X-X-X**

Rather than staying at home and watching the Chunin Exams like Sasuke suggested, Subaru left the house to train on his own while his grandparents stayed at home to watch it. Although the actual exhibition didn't entertain Sasuke very much, he still decided to record it to show Subaru. At the very least, he might learn something from the first round. "You're very dedicated to making sure he learns properly, aren't you?" Sakura had said once the first round was done, and he figured that she was right. Perhaps it was mostly because he had little else to do, but Sasuke wanted to make sure that their grandson was trained to the best of his ability—regardless of his reasons for training. "Anyway, if you don't have anything better to do, could you go out and pick up some things for dinner?"

And with little to do, Sasuke ended up going grocery shopping. But rather than going straight home afterwards, he decided to go check up on Subaru. Assuming that the boy was training in the same spot as the other day, he went there. Upon arriving there, however, he found something interesting. Subaru was doing exercises while a blonde boy around his age watched him.

"15…17…20…" The blonde boy counted aloud. Subaru suddenly stopped doing sit-ups to look the boy's way. "Why'd you stop?"

"You're miscounting and distracting me," the dark-haired child said with a frown.

"No, I'm not."

"I know when I'm being distracted."

The blonde boy began frowning as well. "Maybe _you're_ the one doing the distracting."

"You're the one who came here."

"But not for _you_. So you're a distraction."

Subaru huffed. "If you're going to stand here, at least count properly." And then he went back to doing sit-ups and the blonde boy went back to counting.

Or at least, he did for a while. "Does this stuff _really_ make you better ninja?" He asked, sounding skeptical.

"Of course it does," Subaru responded, not stopping his exercising thing time to chat.

"It's only exercising."

"Exercising naturally helps to make you stronger, and also builds up your chakra, which is essential for ninjutsu."

"If you say so… But I _still_ say there's no point in becoming a ninja."

"I'm not _going_ to become a ninja. I'm just studying ninjutsu so I can become stronger."

The blonde boy scowled. "But a ninja is just someone who uses ninjutsu!"

"Your definition is too broad. To _me_ , being a ninja is just a job—a career where you work for your village and your country and act as a soldier. So practicing ninjutsu and being a ninja are two different things."

"But a ninja is just someone who uses ninjutsu!" The boy repeated.

Subaru sat up and stayed in that position to huff once more. "I'm telling you that they're more than that. If you're going to live in a ninja village, you should learn to distinguish the difference between a ninja and someone who just uses ninjutsu."

"Hmph! So you wanna be a casual ninja. So what? I _still_ say there's no point in becoming a ninja…" The blonde boy said with a scowl. "Anyway… Do you wanna go to that place again when you're done training?" He asked, sounding a bit more chipper, though he still seemed upset.

"That place? Sure."

After that, Subaru went back to exercising and the other boy watched him with disinterest. Since both boys were still unaware of his presence, and there was no point in making himself known, Sasuke left them to their business and headed home.

 **X-X-X**

"Grandpa, this really isn't necessary…"

"Yes, it is." That evening, after Subaru returned home and the three of them ate dinner, Sasuke forced Subaru to sit down and watch the first round of the Chunin Exam exhibition while his grandmother did the dishes. "It helps to observe how others fight."

"But I could pick up the same things in a book or something," Subaru continued insisting as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

Sasuke said nothing and simply set the recording to play. For the first uneventful minutes, they sat in silence. Then eventually, the fighting began. Subaru watched the first match with a neutral expression, but was fortunately interested enough to keep his eyes on the screen and didn't seem to be fantasizing—which was all his grandfather had wanted. After over 10 minutes, the first round ended.

"That wasn't very long, was it?" Subaru asked as Sakura came to sit on the couch, sandwiching Sasuke between his wife and grandson.

"They're only genin, so you can't honestly expect _too_ much. Besides, the loser was at a serious disadvantage because of the jutsu she specialized in," his grandmother said. "The next match is _way_ more impressive."

As Sakura said, the second match was more interesting to watch. It lasted twice as long as the first one due to the genin being evenly matched. Not only that, but both competitors seemed to focus on using melee combat, using ninjutsu only in an attempt to get the upper hand. Subaru was certainly captivated from the way his lips gradually parted in awe. By the end, however, he seemed elated.

"Ah, I bet he was rooting for that guy to win," Sakura guessed. When Subaru began to pout, she chuckled.

Sasuke paused the recording and looked down at the boy. "What was it that you liked about him?"

Subaru looked hesitant to speak, but after a few seconds of being looked down on by his grandparents, he said with a slight blush, "His taijutsu."

"That? He only used kicks," Sakura pointed out. "It was nice to look at, but seemed a bit silly."

"But watching him fight was like watching White Ice…"

"Ice? Oh, that character from that show you like to watch! I wonder if that kid is a fan of that show as well."

Sasuke stared down at his grandson. Although he was still pouting, if one could see his eyes behind the curtain of hair, they might see a look of amazement. "But if you want to fight like that, you still have to cut your hair." And like that, the boy's happy mood dropped and he visibly winced at his grandfather's words.

"Right? Even if it's just a hobby, he'd do so much better if his hair wasn't in his eyes—and he'd _look_ better, too!" His grandmother chimed in. "The whole world should see that adorable face!"

Subaru's pout became an outright scowl. "Can we please go back to watching the other matches?"

 **X-X-X**

Once again, the following early morning, Sasuke got up and went to the living room to find Subaru watching the television. But instead of watching a particular channel, he was watching the recording of the Chunin Exam again. And though his vision was bad, Sasuke could vaguely recognize the shape of the genin from the second round. "You're sitting too close to the TV again," Sasuke suddenly asked, frightening Subaru into looking at him. "It's too early for you to be watching that, don't you think?"

Subaru's expression became neutral and he went back to watching the television. "I'm studying his fighting style." Well, that much was obvious. "His stances are different, but he moves like White Ice. So, my foremost goal will be to learn how to fight like that guy." So much for _'it's the same old thing'_ and _'it gets boring to watch.'_

"That's nice, but you still need to learn the basics before you focus on a particular fighting style. And also, you need to cut—"

"I know, I know! You don't need to repeat it all of the time…" Subaru's voice died down to a murmur as Sasuke sat down on the couch to watch with him.

Although both of them were staring at the TV, Sasuke wasn't really focusing on what was onscreen to the same degree as his grandson. The boy's attentiveness and dedication to training was something to be proud of. If his efforts bared excellent fruit, it would be a shame that he would only be, as that little blonde boy said, _'a casual ninja'_.

 **X-X-X**

Following the same pattern as the day before last, the grandfather and grandson left home to get in some more practice. At Subaru's insistence—or rather, begging—Sakura would record the next round of the Chunin Exam for him to watch when he got home. Perhaps because of that anxiety, he went at his exercises and drills with more vigor. Even the rate at which he threw punches showed he wasn't as concerned for Sasuke's safety as before and was now more focused on landing powerful blows.

"You're progressing nicely," Sasuke complimented the boy after they were finished. Subaru was once again lying on the ground, exhausted while his grandfather stood over him. "But your stamina needs improving."

"How…do I…do that?" Subaru panted.

"It'll happen when your body adapts to the routine. When that happens and the exercises become easy, that's when you have to make the routine more difficult."

"So…when will I become able to start training to fight like White Ice?" Sasuke gave him a blank stare as he thought of an answer. "And don't say _'when you cut your hair'_ ," Subaru added with a frown.

"It's _going_ to have to happen. I'm sure Snow White wouldn't fight if his vision was obscured."

"He _has_! And his name is White Ice!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at that little outburst. "Right… If you're going to act so vain about it, maybe we should just stop practicing ninjutsu altogether." When Subaru stiffened, Sasuke nodded. "If you're going to learn ninjutsu, you're going to go about it with the mindset of a ninja. And a ninja would aspire to polish off their flaws and improve the best that they can. It isn't as if I'm asking you to cut off a limb." Any further lecturing was cut off by Subaru's grumbling stomach. Sasuke sighed. "Enough of that. Time for lunch."

A few minutes later, the grandfather and grandson sat down to eat lunch. Subaru spent most of his time staring at the food in his lunch box, and when he ate, he did so with little enthusiasm. Sasuke didn't feel bad about making him like that, though. If he wanted to practice ninjutsu properly, he had to change himself to do so. Actually, when he was still active in the field, Subaru fixed his bangs so his eyes were visible, and when Sasuke returned home for the last time, he was wearing his hair like that. He had assumed it was for silly reasons, such as a fear of haircuts, honestly liking his hair that way, or embarrassment over the way he looked.

"Grandpa… Why are you looking at me like that?" Subaru asked, suspicious of why his grandfather was staring at him. "It's kinda... Hm?" He trailed off as leaves fell from the tree they were sitting next to. He looked up just in time to have someone land on top of him. Sasuke watched in surprise as a pair of boys squirmed on top of one another before separating.

"Hello, Subaru!" The blonde boy from yesterday greeted after crawling off of Subaru and sitting down next to him.

Subaru looked down at his spilled boxed lunch before saying, "Hello, Haru. What are you doing today?" Given the flatness of his tone, Sasuke imagined he was glaring at the newcomer, but it was hidden.

"I've escaped the clutches of my captors once again," the boy named Haru began, "and decided to come see if you wanted to hang out."

"Are you sure it was an escape and they didn't just letyou leave?"

"No way! My plan was genius!" The blonde boy then stood up and looked down at the other child. "So, are you still doing your casual ninja training?"

"I just finished. I was having lunch when you dropped in."

"Ha! Oh. Uh…sorry." Haru began poking his index fingers together with a sheepish smile on his face. "If you want, you can have the anpan I was given for lunch."

"Thanks, but no thanks." The blonde boy finally noticed Sasuke and they began staring at one another. After several seconds of somewhat unnerving silence, Haru asked, "Who's the old guy?"

"This is my Grandpa Sasuke." Subaru then looked at Sasuke. "Grandpa, this is my friend Haruto."

"Hello, Grandpa Sasuke. You're the one bothering to teach Subaru how to be a ninja, huh? I think it's a waste that you wanna do that."

"I'm not _your_ grandfather," Sasuke corrected him. "And why exactly is it a waste?"

"It's a waste because he's not even gonna be a _total_ ninja. Plus, ninjas are no good, anyway."

"Don't mind him, Grandpa. Haruto just doesn't like ninjas," Subaru explained. He then looked up at Haruto with a broad smile. "Which reminds me: you won't believe what I saw yesterday. There was a ninja who fought like White Ice at the Chunin Exams yesterday!"

The blonde boy made a noise of interest. "Really? With ice and everything?"

"Well, no… But he fought using nothing but kicks and was able to beat a guy using a big ol' club!"

"…Whatever. I don't care about any exams," Haruto spoke, trying to sound disinterested. "So if you're done training, I need you to show me something."

Subaru looked at his grandfather. "We're done for today, so you can do what you like," Sasuke stated.

"Thank you!" The dark-haired boy was immediately on his feet. "I'll try to be home before it's dark out," he said as he ran off with his blonde friend.

"Don't try," Sasuke spoke mostly to himself. Just as he resumed eating his lunch, he paused and thought about his grandson's friend. "Haruto, huh…? No, it couldn't be." He certainly hopedit wasn't…

 **X-X-X**

The following morning was the same as the last. Sasuke woke up early to find Subaru kneeling in front of the television, watching the recording of the Chunin Exam's second round from the previous night. "I keep telling you not to sit so close to the television like that," Sasuke spoke up. Adding in a mumble, "Or _you'll_ need glasses soon."

Subaru looked back at his grandfather to say "Sorry," backed away from the TV and went back to watching it.

Sasuke blinked. Although it was for a brief moment, he thought he saw something… _off_. He approached his grandson from behind and stared down at the top of his head. What he saw…was a hairclip. Subaru was wearing a hairclip. It was a plain one without any sort of feminine patterns and decorations, but the fact remained that he was wearing a hairclip. "Subaru."

"Uh-huh?"

"Look at me." Slowly, Subaru looked up to show that he had used the hairclip to pin up his curtain of bangs, revealing his eyes. "I told you to cut your hair."

"I found a way to compromise," the boy said with a smile. "This way, I can see better without having to cut my hair."

"And you really think that's going to be just as good as cutting your hair?" Sasuke asked, sounding unconvinced.

"We'll see today~" Subaru sounded hopeful as he went back to watching the television.

"What on earth is everyone doing up so early?" Both Sasuke and Subaru looked back and saw Sakura standing behind them. "It's not even 5, yet," she said as she yawned. Then her expression became stern. "Subaru! Since _when_ have you been up watching TV? You're a growing boy! You should be in bed!"

"S-sorry, Grandma…" her grandson apologized as he bowed his head.

Like Sasuke, Sakura blinked when she noticed the hairclip on Subaru's head. "…Subaru. What are you wearing? Is that…is that my hairclip?" He blushed in embarrassment and said nothing. She looked at her husband, confusion written on her face. "Just what is this about?"

"He's resorting to this rather than cutting his hair," Sasuke explained.

"Ah. That's sort of clever." Subaru smiled proudly as his grandmother continued, "At least you're willing to show that adorable face again! It's taking all my willpower not to come over there and pinch those cheeks." In response, Subaru took off the hairclip and allowed his bangs to hang in front of his eyes again. Sakura huffed and glared at Sasuke when he looked amused at their grandson's reaction. "You know, if he's going to be wearing his hair up, you ought to—"

"No."

"But Grandpa, you said that if I got my hair out of my eyes, you'd wear your glasses," Subaru chimed in. "And then you'd teach me how to throw weapons!"

" _You_ said it, and even then, that was only if you _cut_ your hair."

"But this way, neither of us have anything to lose permanently!" Not entirely true. There was the potential blow to Sasuke's pride if he wore those glasses in public. Seeing that words alone weren't getting through to his grandfather, Subaru pinned up his hair once more and looked at him with his eyes all large and watery. "Please, Grandpa…?" Sasuke just stared at him, not affected in the slightest. Subaru then seemed to realize his mistake and looked at his _other_ grandparent with the same pleading expression. "Grandma…" That led to both Subaru _and_ Sakura staring at Sasuke pleadingly. It was enough to make him sigh in disdain.

 **X-X-X**

He couldn't believe he allowed himself to be pushed into doing it. And in such a juvenile manner to boot. He really must have been getting old. But at the very least, they had come to an agreement: if Subaru only ever put his hair up during training, then Sasuke would only ever have to put the damn glasses on during training as well. The only person who came out of the agreement in a sour mood for obvious reasons was Sakura.

"I can't wait to start _this_ training!" Subaru spoke cheerfully after they arrived at their usual training spot. The entire way there, his eagerness to begin training with weapons came off of him in waves. Sasuke was surprised that he hadn't attempted to play with anything as they were walking.

"We're only doing this because weapons handling is naturally a part of taijutsu. So I'm expecting you to work hard on perfecting it as well hand to hand combat," Sasuke explained as he held up a set of shuriken. "Do I have to tell you what this is?"

"They're shuriken," his grandson said, still smiling.

"That's right. There are several kinds of shuriken, but these are the most basic kind. Their only use is to be thrown, but they can still be quite useful. Now, watch what I do."

"Um, Grandpa—" Before Subaru could finish speaking, Sasuke threw the shuriken at a tree several feet away. However, only three hit the tree, while the other two went flying past it. "I'll get 'em!" The boy spoke quickly as he ran off in search of the missing shuriken.

Sasuke approached the shuriken in the tree and sighed as he took them out. He then glared at the trunk and muttered, "Goddamn it…" There was no way his sight had gotten _that_ bad, was there? Heaven help him if Subaru manages to do better.

Shortly after Sasuke had gotten the moping out of his system, his grandson came running back, holding a shuriken in each hand. "Found 'em." He handed them to Sasuke. "I was gonna say that you weren't wearing your glasses when you threw them."

"It was just a demonstration of how to throw. I wasn't really trying," Sasuke lied.

And Subaru fell for it, mostly because of how straight-faced the old man was as he said so. "I see. In that case, show me how to try. I don't just wanna throw at things. I wanna be able to hit the center of a target the entire time."

"…Okay." He may not have wanted to do so, but the boy's insistence on learning it just right pushed him. Against his own wishes, for his grandson'ssake, he took out his glasses and put them on. As his vision cleared up, Sasuke inwardly cursed at how much better things looked now.

"Can you show me how to throw them so that they all hit the center?" Subaru asked as he held his hands together in a pleading manner. He had even put up his bangs at the same time that Sasuke began wearing his glasses and was looking up at his grandfather with a bright-eyed expression. Sasuke wordlessly threw the shuriken at the tree once more. This time, they all not only hit the tree, but they all landed closely together. Subaru looked impressed, but his grandfather was not, if only because of the nagging reminder that he needed those damn glasses to do so well. "I wanna try now."

"I doubt you'd be able to do something like that so soon. The most you should do right now is aim to hit the tree," Sasuke said as the boy began taking the shuriken out of the tree and took his positon.

"Okay, okay." Sasuke noticed that Subaru was holding the shuriken incorrectly, but said nothing about it. He was willing to let that be a lesson to the boy about trying to rush his training along. So he watched as his grandson swung his arm and sent the shuriken flying forward. However, only one hit the tree. The other four went flying off somewhere. "I'll get them," a crestfallen Subaru said before running off to find the shuriken.

Sasuke was also a tad disappointed as he stared at the tree. "I was at least expecting him to land more on the tree. He'll probably need a lot more practice before he can even hope to hit a target, let alone the center…" At the sound of footsteps, Sasuke assumed that Subaru was back already. But what he saw come towards him was most certainly _not_ his grandson. "What on earth…?"

A small blonde boy whose clothes were stained with dark red was approaching him with a dark expression. Sasuke assumed it was Haruto, but with his glasses on, he could make out certain details much more clearly, like his bright blue eyes that were narrowed into a glare and the whisker-liking markings on his cheeks that were partially obscured by the red liquid trailing down his cheeks. Yes, what disturbed Sasuke more than the boy's appearance was the fact that he resembled Naruto in his youth.

"…What happened to you?" Sasuke asked as he began to focus on the boy's clothes instead of his face. It would've looked like he was covered in blood, but from this close up, it was obvious from the smell that he wasn't.

"… _Who_ … _did it_?" Haruto asked. "Who killed my juice box?!" He shrieked as he held two items up in the air with one hand. One was a juice box with a pair of cherries on it that had been punctured, dark red juice dripping down from it. The other was a shuriken that had juice dripping off of it. "I'll kill 'em! I'll do it! Grudges against food are a serious thing!" He raged as he threw down both the juice box and the shuriken.

Sasuke was apathetic as he said, "Were you spying on us again?"

"Who's spying, Grandpa Sasuke?! I was just sitting down, enjoying nature and my lunch, when as I was drinking my Bustin' Cherry, something zooms in and kills it!"

"Were you hurt?"

"I just told you, my _juice box_ was _killed_!"

"But you're fine."

"Yes! But the juice box is _not_!"

"So you have no reason to complain."

"I'm complaining about my _juice_ …!" Haruto's anger died down to a whine. "Now how am I going to enjoy the rest of my lunch?"

"It's not even 9 yet."

"Somewherein the world, it's already lunchtime…!"

Sasuke just stared at the child mourning over a mere juice box as Subaru appeared on the scene. "I only found three shuriken, Grandpa. Oh, Haruto! What happened to _you_?" The dark-haired boy asked as he took in his friend's appearance.

"His lunch was one of your accidental targets," Sasuke explained.

"Lunch? But it's not even 9 yet."

" _Somewhere_ in the world—" Haruto began before he began to give Subaru a dark look. "It was _you_?! You're practicing killing people by going after my juice box?!" He growled.

"I-It was an accident! I was trying to hit the tree, but my aim was…a little off. Sorry…" Subaru apologized with a sheepish look. "If you want, I can give you _my_ juice."

The blonde calmed down, but his glare remained. "What kind of juice?"

"Grape juice."

Haruto immediately brightened up. "I love grape juice!"

Subaru gave a sigh of relief. "Can you wait until I'm finished practicing so I can give it to you? Then we can eat lunch together."

"Together?" Haruto looked hesitant. "Um…" He looked at Sasuke, hinting why.

"Grandpa won't mind, I'm sure."

"Well…okay. Just don't do it again, okay?"

 **X-X-X**

That was how Haruto ended up watching Sasuke and Subaru's training session. Well, watching wouldn't exactly be accurate. Out of fear of being hit by another off-target weapon, the blonde boy took to hiding behind Sasuke for protection. Of course, Subaru's aim wasn't _that_ bad again, and by the time his grandfather was content with his progress, he was able to make all the shuriken he threw hit the tree—not in a straight line or altogether in the center, but still pretty good for a beginner. When they went on to practice hand to hand combat, Haruto watched with little interest as Subaru threw punches and kicks and his grandfather occasionally instructed him.

"If watching us is upsetting you so much, then just leave," Sasuke finally said once Subaru finished with sit-ups and moved on to pushups.

Haruto pouted. "Subaru and I are going to eat lunch together. So I'll sit here and watch him practice this junk until he's done!"

"Junk? So I take it you have no desire to become a ninja, either."

"Nope. Because ninjas are just no good.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "And what's wrong with ninjas?"

"They're bad and evil, and all they know how to do is hurt people and break stuff." There was no way _this_ kid was Naruto's grandchild. Not even Boruto was this ridiculous as a child. Sasuke couldn't see how Subaru liked being friends with a boy like this. "But if Subaru only wants to learn ninjutsu and not be a ninja, I am okay with it." Although he didn't _look_ okay with it from the expression on his face.

"Don't mind Haru, Grandpa. I keep telling him that he's only half-right, but he never listens," Subaru said without ever stopping.

And after that, anymore arguments about ninja didn't happen. Haruto continued observing Subaru's training, ate lunch with him when he was finished, and the two boys headed off somewhere together when everything was done, leaving Sasuke to take home the equipment by himself.

 **X-X-X**

"Naruto and Hinata's grandson? Ah, now that I think about it, he only popped up recently." Recently? How does someone have a grandchild just _'pop up'_? "Subaru spends a lot of time with him, but it only started because Boruto thought he'd get used to living in Konoha better if a local around his age showed him around."

Sasuke blinked in confusion. "So…Subaru was forced to be his guide?"

"Poor little Haruto must be feeling neglected because Subaru is focusing on training and learning ninjutsu instead of spending most of the day with _him_."

Sasuke snorted and stared at the television screen. "Maybe that's for the best. A boy like that…"

"I don't think so. They've gotten along well from the start. Or at least, that's what Subaru would have me believe."

As if on cue, Subaru came out of the bathroom. "Okay! I'm ready now," he stated as he sat down in front of the couch his grandparents had been sitting on. "Let's get started!" As he said that, Sakura played the recording. Together, the family watched the semifinals of the Chunin Exams, which was much shorter than the previous round. In less than an hour, the matches were over, and Subaru looked depressed. "He lost…" He muttered with his head bowed, radiating an overall gloomy air.

"He certainly looked impressive when he went down fighting," said Sakura.

"That guy had a fancy kekkei genkai that hardened his body like metal, and although he had the right idea to aim for the same point over and over to break through, the other guy had more stamina, so he wasn't able to outlast that juggernaut and slowed down enough to get knocked back." Both of his grandparents began to stare at him in wide-eyed awe after that summary. "Now it's not worth it to watch tomorrow."

"Aren't you the least bit curious to see who wins, Subaru-chan?" his grandmother asked.

"Neither of those other guys are the least bit interesting. If it isn't the guy I was rooting for this whole time, then who cares? Not _me_."

"Does this mean you're no longer interesting in fighting like that Ice character?"

"Of course I am. But now I'll have to use what I saw from that guy and go from there—to be even better than he was."

Sasuke stared at the back of his grandson's head, impressed. He thought seeing the person whose fighting style he'd come to admire lose would lead to him losing his interest. Instead, the effect was the exact opposite. It really _was_ a shame that he was only interested in learning for pleasure. "In that case, we'll have to work out a schedule for when your mother comes back."

"Oh, she'll just be happy that I'm not spending my days with some shady guys," Subaru said as a TV show was made to play.

"What do you call Haruto then?"

"My friend, of course."

 **X-X-X**

Almost a month later found Sasuke sitting in the forest with a disgruntled expression on his face. Subaru was late. Although he didn't expect the boy to be extremely punctual, he was never over an hour late. It was likely that something held him up, assumedly Haruto. Since the annoying little blonde wasn't making any appearances at their training sessions these days, he had to annoy Subaru at _some_ point. Either way, he was late. And while Sasuke didn't exactly have a busy schedule these days, it didn't mean he enjoyed being kept waiting for so long when he made plans with someone.

Just as he was musing leaving to teach his grandson a lesson in punctuality, said boy arrived looking exhausted and out of breath. "Ah! Grandpa! You're still here! That's good!" Sasuke stared blankly at Subaru as he bent over to breathe deeply. "Um…sorry…for being late?" He said, unsure if that was what his grandfather wanted to hear.

"And you're late because…?"

Subaru stood upright as he answered, "Because Haruto wanted to spar."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Haruto?" The boy who said that ninjas were _'no good'_ and _'evil'_ wanted to spar? "Why would _he_ want to spar?"

"He changed his mind about ninjas."

"Oh?"

"He said _'there are some nice ones in there, so wanting to be like them isn't so bad.'_ So he decided to become one."

"How did _that_ come about?" And how could Sasuke have Subaru go under the same transformation?

Subaru pouted. "He didn't say why. He just said that he needs to become strong enough to look after himself, so he wants to become the strongest ninja in the world."

"I see…" Leave it to Naruto's grandchild to go big or go home. "Then why don't _you_ seem happy about it?"

"Because I realize…that if he becomes a ninja, he'll experience stuff that'll make him stronger them me! And…if he's at the academy most of the day, who will I spend my free time with?!" Subaru was whining, but there was a fire in his eyes as he spoke. "So…although I don't really like it, I'll become a ninja, too! White Ice refuses to be left in Blood Red's dust, and neither will I let Haruto leave _me_ behind!"

" _This_ is what it takes…" Sasuke mumbled his thoughts to himself. Not pride, traditions or honor, but the idea of his friend leaving him behind in more ways than one is what pushes him to want to become a ninja. Well, he supposed it was nice in a way. And competition in one shape or another helped to mold one into a better ninja. Still, of all the people to motivate him, why Naruto's grandson…? Were the fates of their descendants just intertwined now?

Subaru calmed down a bit and began poking his fingers together sheepishly. "Um… I'm sorry if I'm coming on too strong. Haruto just tends to bring out the worst in me… But anyway, Grandpa, I was hoping we could skip taijutsu and you could show me some ninjutsu?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"When we sparred, Haruto used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! He only made three clones, but still… If _he_ can learn ninjutsu at this level, I want to learn something, too!"

"Who taught him _that_?"

"I think he said his grandpa did." Of course. Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if Naruto specifically did so because he heard he was training _his_ grandson, that dope. "Which is why you have to show me something neater than that!" He said, regaining that fire in his eyes. "Something that blows making solid clones out of the water!"

"Did you beat him?"

"Huh?"

"When you sparred."

"Y-yes…?"

"Then I don't see why I need to show you a jutsu if you can beat him as you are," Sasuke spoke sternly, although deep down, he was proud of his grandson. When he caught a look at the way Subaru scuffed his foot in the dirt and grumbled his breath, the retired ninja sighed and added, "Do you even know any hand signs?" Subaru nodded. "…If you finish your training early, I might find the time to show you something." With bright eyes, the boy began doing push-ups right away as his grandfather smiled faintly.

 **X-X-X**

 **Thank you for reading! I swear, writing fan fiction is the only thing that keeps me sane during these trying times.**


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